January 30, 2022                                    Text:  Luke 4:31-44

Dear Friends in Christ,

    In the mid to late 1960’s when I was navigating my toddler years some of you were burning your bras and draft cards and taking over college campuses.  People were defying authority.  The World War II generation parents expected respect and discipline and what they got were tie-dyed shirts and Woodstock.

    That questioning of authority, which was prevalent in the 1960’s has increased and continued into our present generation.  Not only are people rejecting authority but they are rejecting the authority of God’s Word.  The devil promises freedom if there is no authority but all it really leads to is insecurity and uncertainty.  

    Today as Jesus steps into the picture through our text He is proclaiming Good News.  The Good News that He is sharing is that He does have authority and that His Word has authority.  Thank the Lord this morning that He is . . .

“SPEAKING WITH AUTHORITY”

    This idea that Jesus would speak with authority astonishes the people.  They are shocked.  They have never heard anyone speak like this.  They are used to a bunch of mumbo jumbo of conflicting sources from the rabbis.

    It is no different in our time.  People are astonished and even shocked when the church through the Word of Jesus speaks with authority.  We deal with a bunch of mumbo jumbo of competing voices and conflicting words and phrases.  We are expected to be our own gatekeeper of the truth.  Bernard Bailey wrote, “When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.”  Do we want to rely on God or man?

    In Finland a trial is going on that involves a Lutheran Pastor and a female member of their government.  In the early 2000’s they wrote a book in which they said that homosexuality was a sin.  It was a book from these two Lutherans about what the Bible states and what the church should be teaching.  After many years they have been brought up on charges.  It won’t surprise you that the first day of the trial was filled with misrepresentations from the prosecutor.  Like Pilate they think they have authority but as Jesus reminded Pilate the only authority he had came from God.  Please pray for this brother and sister.  Jesus’ absolute authority is offensive to many.

    But Jesus speaking with authority is good news.  The only reason people get shocked at Jesus’ authority is because they don’t want it.  They think it is oppressive or takes away their freedom of expression.  All Pastors have had people leave their churches because they wouldn’t marry a living together couple or people took offense to some other Word of God.  If we pick and choose where the authority is then we can begin to question salvation.  Is that part of God’s Word true?

    Do you follow authority?  Many do.  Many of us pick and choose.  God’s Word and parents – yes.  Government and talking heads – no.  You probably have your own list.  The thing is we need authority.  My mom always told me you need a chief.  As a teacher she was on the bargaining committee and she said it wouldn’t work getting the teachers together if everybody was an Indian.  Someone had to have authority.  It provides security and direction and freedom.

    We see that from Jesus in our text.  Jesus had authority over a demon and had him become silent and then released him from the man.  Jesus’ healed the mother-in-law of Peter by rebuking her fever.  Diseases are healed and spirits are rebuked because they knew he was the Christ.

    This Christ Jesus spoke with great authority on the cross.  He announced “it” – the work of saving mankind – “is finished.”  Jesus’ authority over sin, death, and hell was confirmed when he rose from the dead.  He gives us freedom from guilt and death.

    Jesus speaks with authority to us.  He proclaims from our pulpits that we have eternal life.  He has authority to forgive sins and he passes that authority onto you and me.  He speaks heaven to us in Holy Communion.  His words of authority give peace and security.  Isn’t it nice to know that Jesus has authority over evil?  We can have that confidence, because of Jesus’ authority, that what we believe is certain and true.

    If children don’t have authority they grow up with insecurity and anxiety and emotional scarring.  We have so many people in our world with nothing certain they can rely on in their lives – especially how they might face death.  We don’t reject the authority of Christ in our lives because we understand the comfort and certainty that it brings.  May the Holy Spirit allow us to share that with others.

    We are blessed to have Good News preached to us and a Savior who is speaking with authority.

                Amen.   

January 16, 2022                                      Text:  John 2:1-11

Dear Friends in Christ,

    When you plan a wedding you make decisions.  At Toni and I’s wedding we decided to just purchase one keg of beer and when it was drained…well, it was drained.  Because we were the third of three weddings at the large LCMS church in Ft. Wayne where we exchanged vows, we had to do all of our pictures after the wedding.  This meant a lot of time for people to imbibe before we even got there.  Since I had just graduated from the seminary 2 weeks before it was one of my fraternity buddies or seminary pals who came up to me and wondered if I could turn their water and soda into a another keg of beer.  We didn’t.  They understood.  My friends have always remarked what a wonderful time they had that weekend.

    Today Jesus is about to begin His public ministry.  At a wedding of all places.  A small crisis is about to ensue.   What will happen?  Where will the guests turn?  A good reminder for us who have been through a lot at our church this past month.

“COMMIT IT TO JESUS”

    Let’s set the scene, “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Jesus was also invited to the wedding with his disciples.  When the wine ran out…” (vs. 1-3a)  Wedding celebrations went on for seven days and running out of wine was a major faux pas.  It was an embarrassment for the family and the bridegroom’s family was liable to a lawsuit.  Something a little more serious than today.  

    Who notices?  Mary.  “The mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’  And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what do this have to do with me?  My hour has not yet come.’  He mother said to the servants, ‘ Do whatever he tells you.’” (vs. 3b-5)

    Jesus’ response sounds a little disrespectful to our ears.  Actually it was just formal.  Jesus has a different interest and purpose than his mother.  Jesus’ “hour” is the cross, His suffering and death, but also His resurrection and glorification.  This was His future but “not yet.”

    Mary had faith in her Son.  She didn’t know what he would do, but she knew he would do the right thing.   She committed the situation to Jesus and she knew He would take care of it.  He took care of it beyond her imagination.  Jesus changed 180 gallons of water into wine.  This was excellent wine.  Jesus gave the couple a gift of extreme value.  If there was any wine left they could sell it and have a good financial cushion to begin their married life.

    Do we ever feel like Mary?  This month we have dealt with many things out of our control.  A barely hanging on furnace.  A new furnace caught up in the global slowdown of goods and services.  A 100% hike in natural gas prices and furnaces running and running as we try to dry out a building that suffered a water deluge.  We had things fail that should have helped the situation.  Lord, how much more.  Are you there?

    The first sign.  Last Sunday’s Old Testament lesson from Isaiah.  If you weren’t on the worship service from our living room these were the words you missed, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”  Come again Lord.  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”  We can commit our problems to Jesus, knowing that He will take care of them.  

    How do we know that?  The cross of Jesus is His promise and guarantee that He will hear and answer our prayers.  He has borne our sin.  He has washed away our punishment.  The water and the damage and the gas prices and the furnace and our individual situations are all wrapped in his body and sacrificed in our place.  He rose again to remind us of new life and our temporary suffering that will end now and our suffering that will end permanently when we see Jesus face to face in the glory of heaven.  We are His beloved children.  

    The setbacks will come but “this too shall pass.”  Jesus told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9)  

    We have worries and concerns.  Most beyond our control.  Mary knew that as well and committed the situation to Jesus.  He took care of it.  His grace and love and divine power showed what He could do.  

    The last line of our text says, “His disciples believed in him.”  Toward the end of John’s gospel are these words; “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (Jn. 20:31)  Life in his name . . . when we commit to the Lord.

                                        Amen.